Realty Guild Blog

Exciting years are worth taking a look back on, and for the Realty Guild 2010 was no exception. There were a number of unique events, houses, and moments to celebrate.

In the spring, The Realty Guild hosted, in collaboration with the Summer Theater of New Canaan, a five-day interior design showcase called “Spring Awakening.” Every room in the Realty Guild’s listing at 104 Dan’s Highway, known as Le Beau Chateau, was transformed by the area’s top designers into a Broadway-inspired feast for the eyes, all to benefit New Canaan’s summer theater. The Realty Guild also hosted, in collaboration with Christie’s auction house, a rare wine-tasting event, one of only a handful that Christie’s has had in recent years. Our venerable auction house partner broke out some of the world’s most exquisite and rare wines.

There were numerous buyers who found their dream home. Our listings included Le Beau Chateau, a 52 acre estate in New Canaan, along with the Smith House, Richard Meier’s  iconic modern home on the water in Darien. Unique new listings this fall include Flying Ridge, a 33 acre estate in Newtown, CT that features its own airstrip, and Grey Cliffs, a 6-acre family compound on a magnificent stretch of waterfront property in Stamford.

In the fall, at the Christie’s Great Estates annual meeting in Toronto, the   Realty Guild was awarded 2010 Christie’s Great Estates Affiliate of the Year honors, one of only 9 companies to be honored in a network that has over 800 offices in more than 40 countries.

As 2011 begins the Realty Guild also is proud to be celebrating its 25-year anniversary! We look forward to new and exciting challenges in 2011, and to continue to be a resource in helping our clients fulfill their real estate needs.

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At Christie’s Great Estates 2010 Global Annual Conference in Toronto, Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild was recognized in the Network’s inaugural Affiliate-of-the-Year Awards, earning first runner-up honors for brokerage firms in markets with a population of 275,000 and less.

(l to r) Kay Coughlin, founder of Christie’s Great Estates, Barbara Cleary, Zachary Wright, Senior Vice President, Christie’s Great Estates.

The exclusive affiliate for New Canaan, Darien and Wilton, the Realty Guild was recognized for its innovative and integrated marketing. One example cited at the ceremony, attended by the affiliate owners and managers, was an event that took place in New Canaan in May. In conjunction with the Summer Theater of New Canaan and Christies Great Estates, Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild held a special event at Le Beau Château, a property located on 52 acres in New Canaan. The five-day event was entitled “Spring Awakening” and featured an interior design showcase, Broadway musical number performances,  and culminated in a special tasting of California’s hottest cult wines hosted by the Christie’s wine department. An exclusive Affiliate since 2001, the Realty Guild was also noted for its professionalism, marketing materials and market reports.

Launched this year, the Affiliate-of-the-Year Awards recognizes three Affiliated brokerages in small (population less than 275,000), medium (population between 275,000 and 1,750,000), and large (population over 1,750,000) markets. The recipient of the small-market award was Lila Delman Real Estate of Newport, Rhode Island. The medium-market award was won by Ken Jacobs of Sydney, Australia. The large-market winner was Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales of Manhattan, New York. The other finalists across the three categories included Van Sciver Realtors of Mantoloking, New Jersey; Profusion Realty of Montréal, Québec; IRG International Realty Group of Portugal; Harry Norman, Realtors, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Pacific Union International of San Francisco, California.

Christie’s Great Estates is the largest international network of real estate companies dedicated to the sale and marketing of luxury homes and is a subsidiary of Christie’s, the world’s leading art business. Christie’s clients who buy and sell works of art often request real estate services. To satisfy this demand, Great Estates, founded by Kay Coughlin in 1987, was acquired by Christie’s in 1995. Today, the Christie’s Great Estates global network spans more than 40 countries with 1,000 offices and approximately 34,000 brokers.

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The latest Christie’s Great Estates international newletter, that goes out to Christie’s Auction House and Christie’s Great Estates offices around the world, acknowledged the remarkable “Spring Awakening” event, the four day interior design extravaganza that took place at the Realty Guild’s listing at 104 Dan’s Highway: Here’s the article:

The magnificent 22-room Le Beau Château in New Canaan, Connecticut, opened its doors to the public for “Spring Awakening,” a special Broadway-inspired event to raise money for the Summer Theatre of New Canaan. The French-style manor house was the star attraction of the four-day fundraiser, which culminated in a grand invitation-only soiree hosted by Christie’s wine department. Guests at the auction house event, entitled “A Tasting of Mature Vintages of California’s Hottest Cult Wines,” were treated to samples of Harlan, Phelps Insignia, Peter Michael, and Shafer Hillside Select wines among others. Le Beau Château is offered for sale at US$24 million byBarbara Cleary’s Realty Guild and is enrolled in the Christie’s Great Estates Bespoke Marketing Program.

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Thank you to all who stopped by for our Holiday Stroll Party. It was truly a fun and festive evening! Thank you also to The Respected Palate for the exquisite wines chosen for tasting. Happy Holidays to all!

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